The Latest Trends That Make A Career In Anthropology Interesting

Until a couple of decades ago, anthropology was seen to be an uncommon field of study. People felt that this was an area of study with very limited career scope. However, time proved all of them wrong and today there are many career options within anthropology itself. Indeed, this is a broad discipline as there is a host of career options available under it. One of the main reasons for the increasing popularity of anthropology as a field of study is the fact that it is an intersection of humanities and science. Thus, this covers everything from the biological diversity of races (and the humans who are a part of the same) and the cultural and linguistic aspects of different communities. Since the scope of study of anthropology is that diverse, it is obvious that the realm of career opportunities here will be that diverse as well.

In this article, we shall talk about the various newer career opportunities in the world of anthropology and the different kinds of jobs that you can take up after a bachelor's or a master's degree in anthropology. Read on to know more about the same.

1. Charity Officer

A lot of people are in favour of volunteering or donating (either money or resources) and helping those in need. Now a charity officer is a person who coordinates the work of all such people in an endeavour to ensure that the fundraising events and the volunteering show due results.

Most of the job opportunities in this field are in association with that of the various NGOs or government agencies. The pay will vary greatly depending on the organisation that you are working for. Although most of the work in this field is office based, officers may need to travel to the actual site in order to oversee the transfer of money and resources.

Typically, the working hours of such people are from 9 to 5. However, in the case of terrorist attacks, natural calamities (like that of the recent Kerala floods), these officers need to work for much longer hours.

2. International Aid Worker

These people are the ones who carry out strategic planning for the long-term development of a given area or region. The UN is a major recruiter for postgraduate candidates in this role. The management and allocation of resources to the various agencies and the training of the staff who are working in such projects is the duty of international aid workers.

These are the people who liaise with the different NGOs and public bodies in order to serve the people in a more efficient manner. Most of the employers of such aid workers pay their employees in terms of dollars or euros and not in rupees. The average salary here ranges from £18,000 to £25,000.

The working hours in this field are pretty unpredictable. Knowledge of English is an absolute must whereas that of other foreign languages is an added advantage.

3. Social Researcher

The type of research that these people carry out may range from that of quantitative to qualitative depending on the client needs. Thus, a firm understanding of all the basic concepts of anthropology is needed here. In order to analyse and evaluate the data and present the tenders for newer research projects, one needs to have a very good analytical aptitude.

This will involve jolting down action plans and ensuring that the same goes on in an effortless manner. In this particular profession, ample job opportunities are available both in the private as well as the government sector. Most of the private agencies hire people in this role on a contractual short-term basis whereas the government organisations hire candidates on a permanent basis.

Some of these professionals even choose to freelance for multiple organisations. The starting salary for freshers in this field is about INR 18,000. For candidates who prepare questionnaires and conduct surveys that require them to travel to places, the salary will naturally be higher.

4. Local Government Officer

Under the Panchayati Raj system of India, there is a growing demand for these people. They are the ones who are responsible for the practical development and implementation of the public policies initiated by the central and the state governments in a manner such that maximum cost efficiency is achieved.

The starting salary here depends on a number of factors and the average value stands at somewhere close to INR 20,000. Since this is a government job, there will be tons of other perks and benefits. Since the nature of work here involves coordinating that of the counsellors, administrators, technical specialists and members of the public, one needs to have very good communication skills (both written and verbal) in order to succeed here.

5. Equality And Diversity Officer

These days, larger organisations have their own team of equality and diversity specialists. These people are the ones who are responsible for promoting change within the organisation by providing advice and support on equality and diversity issues. Although a bachelor's degree suffices in most cases, some organisations prefer candidates with a master's degree.

Since the laws on diversity and equality are dynamic in nature, it is important for these people to keep themselves up to date with the changing rules and norms. The starting salary here ranges from INR 20,000 to INR 25,000 depending on the organisation that you are working for.

In order to attend meetings and to train, these people need to include a considerable amount of travel in their work schedule. While in the office, the working hours are the usual 9 to 5. However, these people work in the office only for a fraction of their working days. They often travel to schools, colleges and the wider community in order to raise awareness.

With the myriad of career opportunities available in the world of community service, this seems to be the perfect time to take up a job here. But to be able to do that, you must start off by choosing anthropology as your field of study in your undergraduate days.